


Send Him Home, FRIDAY

by aletheahiraeth



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, I hated the end of endgame, Irondad, Multi, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, spiderson, this is my solution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 13:48:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20547179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletheahiraeth/pseuds/aletheahiraeth
Summary: Tony Stark lost the kid. Granted, he tried to keep him safe by sending him home, but death does not discriminate. He makes a promise to May that he will bring Peter back.





	Send Him Home, FRIDAY

**Author's Note:**

> Hey kids, I absolutely loathed the last ten minutes of Endgame and haven't stopped bitching about it to anyone who would listen. I only recently joined the irondad/spiderson family but I've had this one sitting in my drafts since Endgame came out. This is my fix-it fic because I absolutely refuse to accept the ending. Please enjoy (:

Tony had successfully gotten Peter off of the donut-shaped alien spaceship. But sometimes, in the aftermath, he wished he hadn’t. At least then, he could’ve been there when the kid started to turn to ash like the rest of the world. He wouldn’t have had to watch the terrible, horrifying footage someone had taken of Peter, swinging down and gently depositing the young girl who had been dropped by one of the alien creatures on the streets of Wakanda, ever the hero. In the video, immediately after he had set the young girl on the ground, something changed in the air. Tony knew, from watching the footage, over and over, that that was the moment Thanos had snapped his fingers, and completed his goal to murder half of the universe.

In the footage, Peter had suddenly yanked his mask off. Tony remembered his shock watching it happen. Peter had always been so incessant about keeping his identity secret, but there he was exposing his face to the most technologically advanced country in the world. He remembered Pepper pausing the video, taking his face in her gentle, warm hands.

“Tony. It’s not pretty.” She’d said, softly, her blue eyes worried, the crease between her eyebrows prominent. “I don’t know if you should watch it.”

He remembers shaking his head, gently cupping her hand.

“I have to, Pep. It’ll kill me not knowing, either way.” She’d stepped back, her frown slight, but she nodded and let him hit play.

Peter’s face was in anguish. He knew it was because of his spidey-sense. The warning bells, as he’d told Tony he called them, must have been blaring. And his healing factor seemed like it was trying to work double-time. He knew the kid had to be in immense pain. From what Tony understood, everyone else who had fallen in the snap just seemed to…fade. Of course, of course, the universe would be so cruel as to make his kid be the one being who felt pain when it happened. He had that stupid, damning hero complex since Tony had met him and ultimately it would be what killed him.

“Oh, god.” Peter had murmured, dropping to his knees. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark.” Peter hadn’t even known he was being filmed, and yet his last words where to him. It was gut-wrenching, knowing the kid had been thinking of him in his final moments. He had apologized, to him. Why?

Logically, he knew it was because of their rooftop talk when the kid had been battling The Vulture. _If something happens to you, I’d feel like that’s on me… I want you to be better!_ Of course that would be what the kid remembered while dying. Not the good memories. Not Tony, pulling him into a hug, something he’d been reluctant to do with anyone since Afghanistan. Not Tony, ruffling his curls and handing him the suit saying_ I’m proud of you kid_. Not Tony at his seventeenth birthday party, swinging a pair of keys on an Iron Man keychain, a wicked glint of trouble in his eye. Of course, Peter, always the pleaser, was worried he’d disappointed him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Don’t get him wrong, he was still absolutely furious the kid had disobeyed him. He also wasn’t entirely sure who had managed to get the kid to Wakanda for the final battle, but he was going to murder them with his bare hands when he found out. Honestly though, it felt like a bit of a blessing that May hadn’t had to witness him die in her arms. Like Tony, she’d had to watch the footage though.

He’d never seen someone so angry. Even Miriam Sharpe, the woman who had confronted him at his science convention about her son’s death in Sokovia, didn’t hold a candle to the tiny Italian woman who had practically beat down his door upon seeing the video.

“What did he mean he’s sorry?” She had screamed, her hair streaming behind her as she power-walked towards him. She reached him so quickly the first smack of her tiny fists hitting his chest shocked even Happy. Luckily, Happy had stepped in and managed to corral her a bit. Her nose and eyes were red from the tears she’d shed, and Tony knew her anger wasn’t misplaced in the slightest.

“May, I’m so sorry.”

“Put an iron pipe in it, Stark. My baby is gone. And his last words where an apology to you.” Her voice had dropped several decibels, for which Tony was grateful but also apprehensive. Sometimes quiet anger was worse. She’d looked up at him, brown eyes brimming with tears, suddenly endlessly sad. All of the anger seemed to dissipate from her tiny frame. “Tell me you’re going to bring him back.” She begged, her voice breaking.

Suddenly, he had the weight of this woman’s expectations on his shoulders. And he’d be absolutely damned if he let her down.

“You know I will, May.” He vowed. Suddenly, her hands where grasping his, and their eyes met. Two parents who had lost the unthinkable. Their child. Neither of them had been able to save him. Neither of them had been there to comfort him in his last moments. Tony swore then and there that he would do everything in his power to bring back their kid.

* * *

“Tony.” He continued working, despite his now-wife’s entrance, smiling softly at Pepper. She had that pregnancy glow that everyone had always talked about, and god, she’d never looked more beautiful to him. It’d been six months since his vow to May. Five since Pepper had figured out she was four months along. She was due any day now.

He still couldn’t believe they’d somehow get a miracle out of this entire mess. He wasn’t even sure he was really prepared to be a father. God only knows he’d had a shit show for a model. Well, Jarvis had been a great father. But the man who was his biological father had been a basket-case. He hoped he’d take after Jarvis and leave his child emotionally fulfilled and loved. God knew it was the one thing he had wanted growing up.

“Hey Pep. How’s it going?” He asked.

“Well, darling. If you looked up from your work, ever, you’d see that we’re about to add a third genius to this family.” He immediately dropped the screw-driver he was holding and popped up.

“Pep, what? Really? Right now?” She laughed, nodding and Tony ran his hands through his hair frantically, panicking a bit.

“Breathe, Tony. I’ve already called Rhodey, Happy and May. Happy’s waiting with a car upstairs and Rhodey is picking May up to meet us at the hospital.” God, he loved his wife. Even in a time where he was the one who should be taking care of her, she was taking care of him.

“Pepper. You know I love you, right?” He asked, genuine excitement leaking into his voice.

“So you tell me,” She joked, rolling her eyes. “Now can we go? I don’t think little Morgan is going to wait much longer.” Her words jump-started Tony into action. He began racing around the lab, grabbing anything he felt necessary while Pepper patiently waited by the door, foot tapping lightly on the concrete floor.

“Umm, Fri, please make sure I haven’t left any thing that might burn down the house. You know what, turn DUM-EE off. I know he’s going to get into shit while my wife is bringing another life into this world.” Tony commanded, rushing himself and Pepper to the elevator.

“You’ve got it, boss.” FRIDAY intoned, and all the machines in the lab quieted.

“We’re having a baby, Pepper.” Tony whispered, pulling his wife close to him. Not for the first time, he wished Peter was here to welcome what would be his adopted younger sibling into the world.

* * *

It took Pepper thirteen hours of labor.

She was furious with Tony by the time it was done.

“You know what, Stark. You’re not allowed within a ten-foot radius of me once we leave this hospital. I just want you to know that. You will never get me pregnant ever again.” She swore. Then, they handed her Morgan. And something in her tone changed.

“I take it back. Knock me up again, right now.” Tony beamed, getting on the hospital bed with his wife and his newborn daughter. She had a head of red curls, and her little mouth looked exactly like Tony’s. She even had his eyes. She stared at him, the chocolate brown irises mirroring his own and he suddenly knew he would make his promise to May come to fruition. The new center of his whole world, would meet the kid that held that spot with her. He would bring Peter back. And Morgan would know her crazy older brother Peter. They’d be a family again, dammit.

May stood by the bed, her hand a tight band across her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.

“God, she reminds me of Peter.” She murmured. Pepper let out a choked laugh, tears welling in her eyes as well as she looked up at May while she spoke. “I know that’s crazy, but…she makes me think of him.” May let out a noise, half-laugh, half-choked sob, embarrassed. “That doesn’t even make any sense. I sound like a crazy lady. She’s not even related to him.” She sniffed, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her sweater.

“Of course she is. They may not be biologically related, but she and Peter are siblings; she’s going to meet him one day, May.” May ducked her head at Pepper’s kinds words, before the two women reached their hands out, gently holding onto one another.

Tony gently encircled his arms around his wife and child, reaching a hand out to pull May into their little hug.

* * *

As time passed, Morgan’s hair darkened from the soft red that matched her mother’s to a deeper auburn that more matched her fathers. May visited less and less. Tony knew it was painful for her to watch him and Pepper raise their child, a labor of love that she no longer got to enjoy herself. She never pressed the matter of bringing Peter back. It hung between them, a thick, cloying silence. The elephant in the room that no one knew how to address. No one would dare make the mistake of thinking that Tony didn’t miss Peter. He did, every day. But there was nothing he could do, especially since Steve had showed up at his door, the burned-out gauntlet dangling from his grasp.

Tony had never quite reached the point of forgiveness with Steve, but he knew, in that moment, that things had changed, permanently. Thanos was dead and the stones were gone. The battle had all been for naught. Tony hadn’t been able to save the kid and Strange had given up the stone for no reason, it seemed.

Time seemed to pass both incredibly slowly and at a breakneck pace after that. Every day, Morgan grew and every day, Peter’s smiling face stared out at Tony from the shelf. Tony was torn between two worlds. A before and an after. The before held his first child, the one that made him realize he did want biological children. The after, held his daughter, at the expense of his son. Things didn’t make sense and Tony’s nightmares haunted him. Sometimes he’d wake up at three AM, Pepper sound asleep next to him. Tony didn’t want to disturb her, so he’d quietly untangle himself from her arms, their warm bed, and wander to Morgan’s room to watch the soft rise and fall of her abdomen, one of his few reassurances in this world. If Morgan was breathing, everything was a little less hard to deal with.

Watching his daughter grow was a joy he’d never expected from this life. He never thought he’d be a father at 48. And god, he’d feared that he’d turn out just like his own father. But every day, he proved himself wrong. Morgan looked at him like he’d hung the moon. And when it got a little hard to breathe, the nightmares from Titan, from the video of Peter, haunting his eyelids, he just had to look at his daughter to know that despite all the horror that had happened, some of it had to happen for a reason.

* * *

Scott Lang was not the man he expected to see with Steve. Everyone had thought he’d died in the decimation. No one had been able to locate him. Tony didn’t let it show in his expression though, when Natasha, Steve and Scott showed up at his door though.

His irritation flared at the audacity of Scott’s idea. Of course he’d thought of it. Who hadn’t? Time travel seemed like the easiest solution. But time travel was incredibly dangerous. They didn’t know what kind of paradox they could cause. They couldn’t possibly know how their meddling would affect the present. He just couldn’t risk it. Morgan and Pepper were his reason for existing now. There was nothing in this world that would make him risk that.

Except for the idea of getting Peter back.

It haunted him. He couldn’t sleep that night. So he looked into it. It was really rather simple once he thought about it. The chance of getting Peter back was too great to not look into. Besides, he’d made a promise to May. After tucking Morgan back into bed, after teaching her a word or two her mother “had coined,” and before he went to meet Steve, he called May.

She answered after one ring.

“Tony? It’s 3 am. Is everything alright?”

“May. I’m sorry about the time. But…don’t get your hopes up yet, but I think I may be able to get Peter back.”

* * *

The talk with his dad had been…something. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to really forgive him, not really. Too much bad blood, too much A+ parenting that had scarred him in more ways than one. But, it had been nice to see what his dad had been like before Stark Industries growth had caused him to become the man he was later in life. In all honesty, seeing Jarvis had almost made him cry. But he knew he had to focus. His own kid was waiting for him. Both of them.

And of course, he should have known that nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Of course something would happen that would bring Thanos into this timeline. Tony should have known that nothing ever came easy. But he’d be damned if he said he wasn’t overjoyed that they’d tried. Playing keep-away with the gauntlet wasn’t a problem. Not being able to see his kid until said kid was saving his life from one of the monster-alien creatures? That was hard.

“Mr. Stark!” all that registered in Tony’s ears was pure relief. There he was. All this work. All for this. Tony couldn’t help it, as the kid gestured, going on about Strange, Tony stepped forward, eyes wet with tears, a smile on his lips as he pulled Peter into a hug, planting a kiss on the kids cheek.

“Oh. This is nice.” He held on, savoring the feeling of having the thing that had been missing for the past five years, safe in his arms. There was no dust this time, and Tony would be damned before there would be dust again.

* * *

It’s how he got here.

A look across the battlefield.

A raised finger.

A shared look.

Tony knew what he had to do. And by the looks of it, Strange knew it wasn’t going to end well. Steve had once told Tony that he didn’t think he was the one to make the sacrifice play. They’d both said hurtful things to each other. Things Tony wished he could take back now. Because he knew once he did this, there was no going back.

“I. Am. Inevitable.” Tony stared down the monster who had haunted his and the rest of his team’s nightmares for the past five years. The battle roared around them, but Tony only had eyes and ears for the ugly, purple nutsack before him.

“And I….Am….Iron Man.” The power coursing through him was immense. Every nerve in his body felt fried. But there was absolutely nothing that could stop him from completing this. He would do whatever it took to rid their universe of this evil. Whatever it took to protect his wife, his kids, his family. He got Peter back, just like he’d promised May he’d do. He didn’t want to die. But sometimes, sacrifices had to be made, for the greater good.

Tony snapped his fingers.

The world went white.

* * *

When he came too, he was propped against what felt like a boulder. Peter was in front of him, face wet with tears. Rhodey stood next to him. Pepper was crouched in front of him, eyes watering but otherwise, strong as ever. Pain burned through Tony. Pain unlike anything he’d felt before. But it was worth it. His family, sans his daughter and Happy, stood before him. A weak smile graced his lips. The world faded to black.

* * *

He woke up to a world of orange.

“So, did you waste it?”

“Yinsen?” Tony breathed, unable to believe his eyes.

“Yes, old friend. So? Did you? Did you waste your life?” Yinsen’s eyes were gentle, his expression open, inviting.

“No, I didn’t. I lived a life that made me happy. I did things I never thought I would do. I can’t say that I wasted a single second, in all honesty. I had two children. One I practically adopted, who had an Italian aunt that was crazier than my mother. Happy says he’s like a miniature me, but I know he’s better. And daughter, who could’ve told me that grass is blue and I’d move heaven and earth to make that true. A wife, who loved me, despite all of my flaws and issues, who made me a better man. Two best friends who stood by my side more than I probably deserved. I was really rather hoping I could keep on living that life.” He smiled, eyes wet with tears. Tony had never really thought about whether or not you could cry in the afterlife.

Yinsen just nodded, sagely, ever the observer.

“I’m glad to hear that old friend.”

The world darkened once more.

* * *

_….beep _

_….beep _

_…beep _

“….waking up?” Tony’s ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton. He ached both with the incredible pain of absence and like someone who’d gotten into a ring with a professional MMA fighter with only a white belt in karate.

“Ugh.” He wasn’t sure if the noise came from him or not. He moved, but that just made the aches more intense so he immediately froze.

“Tony?? Oh my god, Tony are you awake?” Peter's voice sounded like it was being filtered through cotton.

“Mr. Stark? Holy shit, Rhodey, wake Pepper up!” Tony cracked open an eye, gaze immediately settling on Peter. Peter, who’s eyes were bloodshot, his curls dangling, slightly too long, past the tips of his ears. Peter shot up as soon as their eyes met and launched himself, albeit carefully, onto the bed, curling himself around Tony. Tony grunted in surprise but Peter didn’t even budge.

“I hope I’m not hurting you, but ohmygod Mr. Stark I have never been happier to see someone open their eyes.” Tony grunted again and Peter carefully de-tangled himself. “Sorry. Um. How are you feeling? Who am I kidding you took the full force of six infinity stones. Hell, you lost your…” Peter’s gaze dropped to Tony’s right side and Tony’s own eyes couldn’t help but follow. Panic coursed briefly through him at the sight. Where he’d once had his right arm, there was nothing. His shoulder was still mostly intact but below that, there was nothing. Peter must have sensed his panic, because he immediately started speaking, rapid-fire. “Don’t worry Mr. Stark. I’ve already been talking with Shuri and we’re working on getting you a prosthetic. You and Sergeant Barnes will be matching....um let's see...Steve, Natasha, Bruce and Clint are all waiting to see when you wake up. Aunt May is with them too. I'm pretty sure this is the only time she's let me out of her sight since we all came back. She sat by your bed with me pretty much every night." Peter chuckled a little before continuing. "Um, Steve managed to exchange the soul stone to get Natasha back, or something like that. I don't really know all the details, I was a little to worried about you not waking up, but she came back with him after he put the stones back. And now, everyone's just waiting to make sure you're okay. But, everyone's okay. Everyone's here."

A soft smile broke over Tony's face.

"Peter." the kid immediately stopped talking, brown eyes assessing Tony to make sure the older man was okay.

"Are you okay Mr. Stark? Do you need more medicine? Does anything hurt? I'll call Dr. Cho to get you some more pain killers." Tony raised his good arm, resting his hand gently on Peter's cheek. 

"Kid, I'm okay. Take a breath." Peter did, brown eyes still worried. "I missed you."

"Oh my god, Mr. Stark. I missed you too. We all thought we lost you there for a minute. But then FRIDAY said she detected a heartbeat. Steve carried you through a portal that Dr. Strange opened to Dr. Cho, she worked her magic with a little help from Captain Marv- I mean, Carol, and...here you are."

"Steve carried me? Shit, he's never going to let me live that down." Tony joked. Tears welled suddenly in Peter's eyes but he went to brush them away. "Hey, woah, Pete, I'm sorry. It's okay. I'm okay. I'm here. You're with me. Everything's okay now." Peter nodded, rapid fire, but couldn't meet Tony's gaze for a minute. He looked back up at Tony, eyes still wet with unshed tears. 

"I'm sorry I didn't listen when you told me to go home. I just...I couldn't stand letting people suffer when I can do something to help." Tony let out a short laugh that, fuck, hurt like hell. He pulled the kid into a gentle hug. 

"Peter. I can't honestly say I expected you to do anything else. Just know that I'm proud of you, kid." Peter sniffled against his hospital gown, curling himself tighter against Tony. They both looked up when the door suddenly slammed open, Pepper rushing in, holding Morgan. Happy, Rhodey, May and the rest of the team trailed behind, hesitant. 

"Oh my god, Tony." She ran forward, looking for, probably the first time in the entire time Tony had known her, unsure. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her hair was slightly disheveled. She had never looked more incredible to him.

Morgan made the first move, twisting in her mother's arms to look at her father.

"Daddy, you're missing your arm." she noted, as Pepper set her down. She scrambled onto the bed, coming to a rest in Peter's lap and reaching her little hands out to cup Tony's cheeks as Pepper maneuvered around the bed, hands fluttering, seemingly unsure of where to place them, finally settling on resting them gently on Tony's shoulder. 

"That's okay, sweetie." Tony looked at his wife, daughter, son, and the rest of his found family, the avengers. "Daddy feels completely whole, now." 

**Author's Note:**

> I also have an idea about Steve getting Natasha back that I semi-referenced so let me know if you're interested in seeing that/more of my work in general?? I'm super nervous to post this so hopefully you guys enjoy it, and if it's not your cup of tea, that's okay too! I know it might jump around a little bit, I wrote it in a sleep-induced haze and barely edited it (oops) so I hope it makes sense..Hopefully it does give some closure to others who were disappointed about Endgame, and if you want to chat about the flaming pile of garbage that was the last ten minutes, sound off and I'll happily bitch with you, lol. We can also complain about this stupid shit that Sony and Disney are fighting about, and cry in relief when they finally (hopefully) resolve it. Anyways, thanks so much for reading and please let me know what you think in the comments!


End file.
